Building a strong network is often the difference between a business that thrives and one that struggles. For women in business, connecting with other inspiring, like-minded professionals can be a game-changer, offering both support and invaluable insights. Recently, our Managing Director, Siobhan Stirling, hosted a successful Make It Your Business event at The Finance Hub in Tunbridge Wells’ historic Pantiles area. The event featured four inspiring speakers, each sharing strategies and experiences to empower women in business. Here’s a look at the key takeaways gathering that arose from the event.

Feel the fear, but do it anyway

Keynote speaker Jenny Kitchen, founder of YoYo Design and Amplifi, shared her inspiring journey to becoming a business owner, highlighting the pivotal moments that shaped her path.

First, was learning to trust her instincts. She explained, “Accept that feeling of not being good enough because you will feel it. Keep going regardless. Bit by bit, the confidence will grow.” Jenny founded Amplifi, a local initiative amplifying environmentally conscious businesses, despite already having a busy schedule running the successful YoYo Design. “People thought I was mad to start another business, but when you’re passionate about something, you can always find the time and energy for it.”

Jenny also underscored the importance of focusing on operations as much as strategy. “I invested so much in strategy and not enough in operations—that’s one of my biggest lessons. People often overestimate the brilliance of their ideas and underestimate the hard work required to bring them to life.”

To Jenny, business success is defined by three key pillars: profit, people, and planet. She stresses the importance of getting comfortable with financials, saying, “Finance is what makes the world go round, whether we like it or not…then it’s people and planet.” Together, these principles fuel her joy, her team’s purpose, and the positive impact they are having on their community.

Recognise the gaps in your skillset

Failure is an interesting word, says Lynne Campbell, Director at Alexander Bates Campbell. When you’re in a position where you are faced with closing your business, you have to wrestle with that word. But she says, “Knowing when to give up is the key. So not knowing when to give up is also failure.”

When you run your own business, you need to oversee each aspect of the operations, but that doesn’t mean you are gifted at everything. Lynne explained that she learned this the hard way when she started her first business. “I had to face up to the fact that I wasn’t good at everything. I didn’t have all the skillsets required to go at it alone.” From this learning, she has gone on to partner with people who plug that gap. Recognising her strengths and weaknesses has been key to the success of ABC IFA.

Be open and transparent

Tamara Roberts anticipated a change of pace when she left her finance job in the city to join the family business at Ridgeview Wine Estate. But in 2014, following the sudden passing of her father, she found herself stepping into the role of CEO and facing unexpected challenges. Struggling to secure bank loans and reassure stakeholders, Tamara quickly realised the importance of overcoming self-doubt to lead with confidence. “You’ll never fully feel good enough,” she shared. “Learn to work with that feeling rather than against it, and allow your confidence to grow.”

Tamara also emphasised the importance of transparency in leadership, even within a family business, advocating a direct approach to difficult conversations. “Be honest and transparent,” she advised. “Often, these discussions aren’t as daunting as you might think.”

Don’t be an obstacle to your own success

Suzi Mitchell, founder of Taylor-Made Dreams, made a promise when her son was ill that when she could, she’d set up a charity to provide families who have children with life-limiting illnesses the support that she and Taylor didn’t receive.

Through pure dogged determination, she put herself through training, attended workshops and taught herself how to set up and run a successful charity. “I know lots of things about lots of things but I’m not an expert in anything,” said Suzi. “To not be an obstacle to your own success you have to surround yourself with like-minded people who want to support you and lift you up.”

Suzi’s heart is about social impact and meeting as many children’s needs as possible and she recognised that she couldn’t do that on her own, so for the charity to grow she needed to hire the right people. “For Taylor-Made Dreams to have longevity I moved out of my own way, and brought them in.”

Suzi says that she has never made a bad hire. Her secret? “It’s about the person, not the skill. For me, it boils down to gut instinct.”

Ultimately, Suzi recognised that for the charity to grow and create the legacy that she wanted for Taylor, purpose alone wasn’t enough. “Again, it’s all been about recognising when to get out of my own way. I never want to be the person who stops the charity from getting bigger and meeting more children’s needs.”

The key takeaways from the event were:

• Invest in the person not the skill
• Know when to get out of your own way
• Bring on people who can do what you can’t

All four of our panellists were incredibly inspiring and we are already looking forward to our next Make it Your Business event in January.

Want to get your brand noticed? Get in touch

Based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Sharp Minds Communications offers brand development, digital marketing, offline marketing, and public relations to businesses across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Greater London.